Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Low & middle income
Low & middle income: Prevalence of underweight, weight for age was 13.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Low & middle income, 2000–2024
Source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'. Measured in % of children under 5.
Analysis
Low & middle income recorded 13.8% for prevalence of underweight, weight for age in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Low & middle income peaked at 23.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 2024.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Low & middle income, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 23.3% | — |
| 2001 | 22.9% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 22.4% | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 22.0% | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 21.5% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 21.0% | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 20.5% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 20.0% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 19.5% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 19.0% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 18.5% | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 18.0% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 17.6% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 17.1% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 16.6% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 16.2% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 15.8% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 15.4% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 15.1% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 14.8% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 14.5% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 14.3% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 14.1% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 14.0% | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 13.8% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 21.2% | 19.0% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.5% | 14.8% | 18.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.1% | 13.8% | 14.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Low & middle income
- 2 Niger 34.6% compare
- 3 Timor-Leste 31.9% compare
- 4 India 31.5% compare
- 5 Burundi 28.3% compare
- 6 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 25.0% compare
- 7 Nigeria 24.4% compare
- 8 Lao People's Democratic Republic 24.3% compare
More health data for Low & middle income
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 1.41 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0331 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, annual growth rate -0.9493 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 2.33 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0323 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.036 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Low & middle income?
- Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Low & middle income was 13.8% in 2024, according to UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'.
- What is the highest prevalence of underweight, weight for age recorded in Low & middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 23.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of underweight, weight for age recorded in Low & middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 2024.
- How does Low & middle income rank for prevalence of underweight, weight for age?
- Low & middle income ranks 5th out of 14 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of underweight, weight for age rising or falling in Low & middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Low & middle income data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children', published as part of Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of underweight children is the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. The data are based on the WHO's 2006 Child Growth Standards.